LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) will decide whether or not it is safe for students to return to in-person instruction on Sunday. JCPS families were informed of the update Friday.
In a tweet, Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said school leaders will review the most up-to-date data on staff absences over the weekend before making the call.
"We want nothing more than to be in-person next week, but we are going to have to evaluate the numbers and make sure we can have school safely," Pollio said in the JCPS Weekly Wrap-Up video posted online.
Pollio said the district will work to get the decision made as quickly as they can so families have enough time to prepare for next week.
The district moved to non-traditional instruction (NTI) on Jan. 11 due to staffing shortages amid the omicron variant surge in Jefferson County. After the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, virtual instruction was extended through Friday, Jan. 21 to allow students and teachers time to complete their quarantines.
Under Kentucky state law, school districts can use a total of 10 NTI days during the school year. According to the superintendent, JCPS has used eight of those days so far.
On Tuesday, the JCPS school board granted Pollio the authority to use additional remote learning days that were approved by the Kentucky legislature during the 2022 General Assembly.
When using remote learning days, only some schools can be remote rather than the entire district.
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